This invention relates to an electrical connection box to be mounted on a vehicle or the like and an assembling method of the electrical connection box, and more particularly to an electrical connection box in which a body and a mounting member are connected together at their one ends through a hinge, and the body and the mounting member are positioned relative to each other for attaching purposes by the hinge, and are connected together in a superposed manner.
An electrical connection box for mounting on an automobile or the like includes a plurality of boards on which electronic parts, power bus bars, etc., are mounted. In order to protect the boards and also to enhance the efficiency of an assembling operation in the production and the efficiency of an operation for exchanging the board in the event of a malfunction, each board is beforehand received within a board case (serving as a mounting member) or a body, and the board case and the body are connected together to provide the electrical connection box.
For example, an electrical connection box disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes a first board case (that is, a mounting member) having a board (on which a plurality of electronic parts are mounted) received within a housing, and a second board case (that is, a body) having a board (on which a circuit for connection to the plurality of electronic parts is formed) received within a housing. When the first board case and the second board case are superposed together, connectors mounted respectively on the two boards are fitted to each other to be electrically connected to each other, and also retaining portions provided respectively at the two housings are engaged with each other, thereby fixing the two board cases to each other.
An electrical connection box 100 disclosed in Patent Literature 2 and shown in FIG. 14 includes a body 102, and a cover 101 (that is, a mounting member), and a body-side hook 112 and a cover-side hook 111 are formed respectively at end portions of the body 102 and the cover 101. The cover-side hook 111 is inserted through an insertion port 120, and is engaged with the body-side hook 112, thereby forming a hinge mechanism 110. In this condition, when the cover 101 is moved toward the body 102, the cover-side hook 111 is pivotally moved relative to the body-side hook 112, and a cover-side position limitation groove 121 is fitted on a distal end portion of a peripheral wall 122 of the body 102 during this operation, so that the position of the cover 101 is limited, that is, the cover 101 is properly positioned relative to the body 2, and in this condition the cover 101 is attached to the body 102.                [Patent Literature 1] JP-A-2003-9347        [Patent Literature 2] JP-A-09-163552        
However, in the electrical connection box of Patent Literature 1, there is not provided any guide means for positioning the board cases, and it is very difficult to properly position the board cases when combining these board cases together, and it is necessary to carefully effect this operation so that the connectors can be accurately fitted together, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the efficiency of the operation is very low. And besides, when the connectors are fitted together in an improperly-positioned condition, there has been encountered a problem that the connectors strike against each other, and therefore are subjected to deformation or damage. Furthermore, when the board cases are combined together in such a deformed condition, there has been encountered a problem that a defective assembly is produced.
In the electrical connection box of Patent Literature 2, the cover-side hook 111 is inserted into the insertion port 120 in the body to thereby form the hinge mechanism 110, and the cover is pivotally moved about the hinge mechanism 110, and therefore the positioning of the cover and the body relative to each other for attaching purposes can be effected accurately. However, the insertion port 120 in the body is narrow, and besides there is provided no guide means for guiding the insertion of the cover-side hook 111, and therefore the insertion of the cover-side hook 111 is difficult, which has invited a problem that the efficiency of the operation is low.